Lynch prepares for a bittersweet homecoming

DENVER -- He grew up near San Diego watching Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow, two players who spent their entire careers with one team. John Lynch thought he could do the same.

It's a dream for so many players when they enter the NFL, before the business side of the game dictates differently. It's a dream that gets fulfilled less often as the years go by.

The former Buccaneers star will play in the familiar setting of Tampa Bay on Sunday, but he'll wear a different uniform. In the offseason, after 11 years, the Bucs let one of the cornerstones of their franchise go. Lynch chose the Denver Broncos, and thus far, things are going pretty smoothly for the five-time Pro Bowl safety.

But this week?

"To stand here and say it's just a normal week -- I don't think that would be honest to anyone," he said.

Lynch, along with Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, all came to Tampa Bay in the '90s, back when the mascot was a jolly looking pirate, the uniforms were Creamsicle orange and there wasn't much cool about being a Buccaneer.

Time passed, coaches changed, the team kept getting better and finally won a Super Bowl two seasons ago. Lynch, Sapp and Brooks took some ownership in having made it through the tough times. All felt they were doing more than earning a check -- they felt they had a stake in the franchise.

"I don't think so much of the Super Bowl," Lynch said.

But are they still one of the most respected franchises? The record (0-3) for this injury-ravaged team doesn't indicate that. Neither does some of the tumult since Bruce Allen took over as general manager in the offseason, replacing Rich McKay.

Receiver Keenan McCardell is holding out, accusing the Bucs of reneging on a promise to give him a raise.